PS 




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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



Slielf..L..\/.V.2^ 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




OUR 



DOROTHY 



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VERSES BY M. A. W. 



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NEW YORK "^''n »it' 

FREDERICK WARNE & CO. 

3 COOPER UNION 



:) 



n. 






CorVRIGHT, 1893, BY 

FREDERICK WARNE & CO. 



Press of J. J. Little & Co. 
Astor Place, New York 



TO MY GOD-CHILD 

DOROTHY 

THESE VERSES ARE LOVINGLY 
DEDICATED 

M. A. W. 



The theme of tiiis story is founded upon the circumstances 
whicii led a lonely little stranger to a happy home. 

The illustrations are from photographs by Frank P. Jewett, 
of Orange, N.J. 



OUR DOROTHY. 

Orie day iri early Spririg, riot lorig ago, 

Fell frorri t]\e far blile s^ies to eartli below, 

R je"Wel of Cl^rist's, a pure brigl^t pearl. 

Not as NoKorqis of old, did it fall, 

Wlqere blossorqs covered tY\e eartY\ as a pall, 

Tl]is baby vJee — tl^is dear little girl, 

Iri a l|ospital \^ard, v^itl) lA^alls cold ar\d wlqite, 

Tl^e soiil of tY\e Motlier l)ad taKeri its fligtit 

To joiri tl^e Fatl:\er's, gone before, 

Ttie baby eyes rqeet but tlr^e cUrioUs glaqce 

Of eyes tY\at looK only v^\tY\ silfferarice, 

Tl^at \\;orider arid pity, but r]ot]qirig rqore. 

No lovirig arrr^s to clasp iri close erqbrace. 

No firigers, forid, to stroKe tlie upturned face; 

No soft Kiss to still tl-^e plaintive irioar). 

R loriely stranger iri a stranger larid; 

Tossed frorq tlrie sea of Life Upori tl^e strand, 

Horr\eless and friendless and all alone T 




iRECT HER JUST TO 'CASTLEWOOD. 



" Dear God ir] HeaVen, ^ill yoil be so Kind 

" fls to looK aroiirid and see if yoiI can't fir^d 

" R little baby — 'specially jiist for n\e. 

" I'll taKe thie Very best of care of l]er. 

" If jiist tl^e sanqe to yoii, I'd nqiicl^ prefer 

" R girl, witl^ eyes as bro^vT) as tl)ey can be. 

" My sister Debbie died, and I loved l^er so ; 

"TI|ey piit I|er in tl)e ground wl^ere daisies gro\^i, 

' I'll see l]er sorqe day, if I'rn good. 

"Now please to send anotl^er cliild do\Vri Ijere 

" Th(e first day tl|at it is M)aYn\ aqd clear; 

"Direct Irier just to ' CastlevJood.' " 




Dear little Gladys I Tl^e letter is dorie, 
After rqariy deep siglr^s and one inky tr(iirr|b; 
CrooKedly stands tt^e stanqp at one side, 
Day after day passes — no baby arrives. 
To v\;ait very patiently, ti\e little one strives, 
For tY\e gift tY\at God is to send, 



" Do you 'spose God 'ill get it rigl]t straigl)t away, 
" Ri\d ser[d rr^e tl^e baby ^^itlioUt ariy delay?" 

SY\e asKs of eacY\ orie iri tl^eir turri. 

fl.ll tt|e l:\oiIseliold, of course, is rqUcl] an\Used 

flrid Witt) l^er longings becorr\e suffused, 

(Cl]ildrer(T a lessor] you rr\ay learri.) 

One nqornirig, Papa in Iriis paper reads 

fl rnessage tt\at seenqs to rneet just tlr^e needs 

Of t^is ]T\Uct\ indulged srqall girl. 

Wlqat is tt|ere tl^at l^e Would not do for Iqer 

Is a deep problerq for pliilosopiqer ; 

'Round l^er tt|Urnb, Y\e seenqs to twirl I 




YOU'D BETTER WRITE AND HAVE HER SENT.' 



"See, Gladys! there's a baby, ready jilst for yoii, 
" R little girl, one year old, and bro^n eyes, too I 
" Yoil'd better ^rite ar]d l^ave l^er sent." 

Perliaps tl\e Brooklyn postnqari better Kno'ws 

(Tl^an " God in Heaven ") to M^l^ere tl]is letter goes ; 

For a reply carne, of qilicK consent. 

In Motl)er's post-bag conqes an ans\^^er, sure. 
' If ttie little girl our baby would secure, 
' Do conqe soon across tl)e bridge to Us. 
' Rr]d if you give l]er tender, loving care, 
' Rr]d \Vitr\ l^er all your rnany blessings sl|are, 
' Ti]e act will be rnost generous." 




'GLADYS HERSELF, AS PROUD AS SHE CAN BE. 



" Across tl^e bridge " ty]ey qiiicKly go to see 
T\]e niysterioils babe, ar\d all agree 
'Tvv)as sent for tlienq arid tY\en\ alone, 
Gladys' Motl^er's lieart is large enoilgli for all 
Her cliildren blessed, and tl:iis poor Waif so srqall, 
Slie taKes tl|e cliild, inaKes it lier own. 
Her baby troubles qUicKly fade aWay, 
DarKest nig^l^ beconqes tlie briglitest day. 
Tlie siin of fortune gaily on lier srniles, 
Brotliers and Sisters trover 'round to pet ; 
Tlie little one l^er past will soon forget, 
Hnd all Will love l^er for l^er l^arrqless wiles. 
Gladys' baby I Everyone must corne and see ; 
Gladys l^erself, as proud as sl\e can be, 
Rr\d tt]e Wee one coos a Welcorqe sWeet. 
All rnust adrnire tl^e curling h^^ir, tt^e funny nose, 
Tl\e brigl^t brown eyes, rqoutli like unto tl|e rose, 
And tl\e "dearest, darling little feetl" 




BUT PLEASE, MA'AM, NEED I BE SO CLEAN' 



Th|e little Marrirqa's airs are cute to see I 

RT\d baby strives so very patiently 

To do jiist YJY\at is good aqd rigtit. 
"No, no, n\y dear," says t]:|is riurse so large; 
" You rT\Ust rT|irid nqe, ^Vtiile you are iq nqy ct|arge, 
" Or I cari't trust you frorq rriy sigl^t. 
" You Know you belong 'specially to rc\e. 
" I w/rote to God for you at first, you see." 

Ttie baby laUgl:)s aloud at tl^is — 

Hnd says (in Dutct] ) "You're ttje dearest one 
I've seen ; 

But please, rna'arn, need I be so clean?" 

Rr\d all ends in a l^Ug and Kiss. 




RqaiT\, at " ^iq^ tea " see tl^enq sit and play: 
"Bobby" decKed out ir] "SiJriday best" array, 
fill quaff tlr^e far-farn_ed cup tY\at cl:|eers. 



Crasl)! " YoiJ do r(Ot TT\ir]d, or ever] seenq to, 
NaUgl^ty one ! Dori't cry ; you did not rqeari to. 
I will not spanK yoil— dry your tears I" 







* c- 



^v. 








THAT 'GOD WILL WATCH THEM HERE AND EVERYWHERE.'" 



TY\er[ " awfiil beddie tiinqe " conqes quickly oq ; 
Tl^e t\^)ilig]:]t closes dowri Upoq tl^eir fur] ; 
Birds arid babies go to soft, warrq qest ; 
Tlr\e ctiildist) lips togetl^er lisp tl^eir prayer 
Triat " God Will ^^'atcl] tlrierq riere aqd everywriere, 
Jlrid let qot ariytriirig ttieir sleep rriolest." 




'OUR DOROTHY —THAT IS NOW HER NAME. 



Heaven surely sent tl^is baby to our care. 
Wtioso offends tl^ese little ones, beware I" 
Said Clirist, ^1)0 fronq above on Cbristinas canqe 
Tlie lA^liite-^inged letter broUglit lier down to us, 
'Tlie gift of God," gift so rniraculousi 
'Our Dorotliy "— tliat is now) lier narqe. 




M. 



